Danube Cruise #10:Climbing St. Stephens and a Ghost

At the top of St. Stephens Cathedral in Pesht

Looking up inside the dome

Inside St. Stephens

In today's 10th blog about our Viking River cruise down the Danube, we're still in Hungary. We decided to visit the St. Stephens Basilica and walk to the top of it, with our new friends from the cruise, Mary Margaret and Don. This cathedral was back on the Pesht side of the river. (The city of Budapest is actually 2 ancient cities that came together: Buda and Pesht,  from opposite sides of the Danube River). Now, on to St. Stephens!

WHO IS IT NAMED FOR? It is named in honor of Stephen, the first King of Hungary (c 975–1038).It was the sixth largest church building in Hungary before 1920 

WHO WAS STEPHEN? Stephen I, also known as King Saint Stephen (in Hungarian: Szent István király)  was the last Grand Prince of the Hungarians between 997 and 1000 or 1001, and the first King of Hungary from 1000 or 1001 until his death in 1038.


GROSS FACT - Stephen's supposed "incorruptible" right hand is housed in the reliquary. Tom thought that was fascinating. I thought it was gross! (See picture below)

Don and Mary Margaret

view from the top

ARCHITECTURAL FACTS- Since Tom is an architect, he thought this point was fascinating: Equal with the Hungarian Parliament Building, it is one of the two tallest buildings in Budapest at 96 meters (315 feet) - this equation symbolises that worldly and spiritual thinking have the same importance. Current regulations prohibit the construction of any building taller than 96 meters (315 feet) in Budapest. The architectural style is Neo-Classical; it has a Greek cross ground plan. The façade is anchored by two large bell towers.


HAUNTING IN THE CHAPEL - There was a chapel for King Bela and Queen Ann in the Basilica. When Tom and I went in there. It felt very heavy, and it was quite cold. Colder than the rest of the church... which is an indication that there was an intelligent haunt, an interactive ghost, who was drawing the energy of the motion of air, slowing down the molecules and making colder air.
  We didn't stay long enough to figure out who it was, but since it was at the site of the tombs, it's a good guess that it was either the king, the queen or both of them!

King Saint Stephen's modern sculpture in Budapest

view from the top

 NEXT: A Walk on the Waterfront
AFTER THAT: The Holocaust Shoe Memorial 

Picture of the box that contains St. Stephen's arm.